Kentucky

Kentucky
and its residents are probably most well known for thoroughbred horses
and racing, local whiskey distilleries, and unbridled fanaticism for
basketball. The two principal rivals in the state are the University
of Kentucky (blue, Wildcats) and the University of Louisville (red,
Cardinals).

Several US Navy
ships have been named USS Kentucky in honor of the state. The USS Paducah
also served as a naval vessel.

History

Kentucky
is one of four states to call itself a commonwealth. At one time, Kentucky
was a county of Virginia.
Ten constitutional conventions took place at the courthouse of Constitution
Square in Danville,
Kentucky between 1784 and 1792. In 1790, Kentucky delegates accepted
Virginia's terms for separation, and the state constitution was drafted
at the final convention in April 1792. On June 1, 1792, Kentucky
became the fifteenth state in the union and Isaac Shelby, a Revolutionary
War hero, was named the first Governor of the Commonwealth
Of Kentucky.

On May 20, 1861
during the American Civil War, Kentucky
proclaimed its neutrality in the conflict but was forced to take the
side of the Union on September 3 when Confederate forces under General
Leonidas Polk invaded.

Kentucky’s name
is possibly derived from the Cherokee word for "meadowland" after the
bluegrass pastures that lured early pioneers to the state.

Government

The capital of Kentucky
is Frankfort
and its governor is Ernie Fletcher (Republican). Kentucky's two U.S.
senators are Jim Bunning (Republican) and Mitch McConnell (Republican).
The Kentucky Constitution provides for three branches of government:
the legislative, the judicial, and the executive. Kentucky's General
Assembly has two chambers: the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Geography

Its northern border
is the low-water mark on the north side of the Ohio River. Its western
border is the Mississippi River. Other major rivers in Kentucky
include the Tennessee River, the Cumberland River, the Green River and
the Licking River.

There are five main
regions, the Cumberland Mountains and Cumberland Plateau in the southeast,
the north-central Bluegrass Region, the south-central and western Pennyroyal
Plateau, also sometimes termed "Pennyrile", the western coal-fields
area, and the far-west Jackson Purchase.

The largest cities
in Kentucky in terms of
geographic area are the two merged city/county governments of Lexington-Fayette
and Louisville Metro, although Louisville
and its metropolitan area both have a much larger population than Lexington
and its metro area. Northern Kentucky,
an assemblage of smaller cities across the Ohio River from Cincinnati,
Ohio, also has a large metropolitan population.

Significant Natural Attractions

Cumberland Falls
State Park

Mammoth Cave
National Park

Red River Gorge
Geological Area

Land Between
the Lakes

Economy

The total gross
state product for 1999 was $113 billion, placing Kentucky
26th in the nation. Its Per Capita Personal Income is $24,294, 40th
in the nation. Kentucky's agricultural outputs are horses, cattle, tobacco,
dairy products, hogs, soybeans, and corn. Its industrial outputs are
transportation equipment, chemical products, electric equipment, machinery,
food processing, tobacco products, coal, and tourism.

Demographics

According to the
national census, there were 4,041,769 people living in Kentucky
in 2000. The population was 89.3% white, 7.3% African American, 1.5%
Hispanic, 0.7% Asian, and 0.2% Native American.

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